Five Karas villages request N$ 200 m for development goals

WINDHOEK – Five village councils in the Karas Region will need close to N$200 million over the next three financial years for capital projects.
The five villages – Koës, Aroab, Bethanië, Tses and Berseba – were among the 53 local authorities, which participated in a two-day budget hearing meeting that ended in Windhoek on Wednesday.

The village secretary of Berseba, Thomas Dreyer, presented a budget of about N$74,6 million for eight capital projects over the next three years at the village.The servicing of land, refurbishment of old-age homes in single units, upgrading of the sewage pond, upgrading of the council office, building of low-cost housing, the construction of a dump-site and installation of high-mast lights are the chief priorities at Berseba for the next three years.Surprisingly, the high-mast lights will receive, if approved, the highest single amount over the targeted period – N$18 million.The accountant of Bethanie, Christiaan Beukes, said during his presentation that the village will need about N$50,5 million to change the face of the impoverished settlement for the better.The renovation and upgrading of the tourism centre, fencing of the council office, servicing of land, the construction of a multi-purpose youth centre, upgrading of the dumpsite, upgrading of the oxidation pond, the construction of small and medium enterprise stalls, construction of a recreation park and upgrading of the water supply and sewerage systems will be the priorities of the Bethanie Village Council in the 2012/2013 financial year at an estimated cost of N$25,1 million.A further N$16,2 million is needed to cater for the tarring of a 1,8 kilometre-road, servicing and surveying of erven, and the purchase of a grader and a tipper truck for the 2013/2014 financial year, while the upgrading of the football field, aquaculture infrastructure, building of an abattoir and the servicing of about 200 erven will need N$9,2 million.The village of Aroab that is tucked-away in the south-eastern corner of the country, will need N$43,5 million over the three-year period, said Elsa Laubscher, the village’s chief executive officer (CEO).The bulk of the amount, N$13 million, will be used to service erven in the dusty, desert village.Other priorities are the construction of a proper storm-water drainage system, a solar plant for electricity provision, tarring of roads, a water treatment plant, purchase of a grader, acquisition of a water tank, provision of low-cost housing and the establishment of a game and hunting camp.The Village Councils of Tses and Koës were most modest in their submissions, and both only requested less than N$20 million each for capital projects over three years.The CEO of the Koës Village Council, Reinhardt Ochs, said the village will need this funding for the construction of SME stalls, the building of low-cost houses, electricity projects, the construction of a proper sewerage system to replace the bucket toilet system, road maintenance, the construction of toilets, a gardening project, a livestock-farming project and the construction of bungalows. – Nampa